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EAR-RINGS, see RINGS. EARTHQUAKE, a convulsion of the earth. Scripture speaks of several earthquakes. One happened in the twentyseventh year of Uzziah king of Judah, and is mentioned Amos 1:1. Zech. 14:5. A very memorable earthquake is that which happened at our Saviour's death, Matt. 27:51; and many have thought, that it was perceived throughout the world. Others think it was felt only in Judea, or in the temple at Jerusalem. The word earthquake is also used in a more limited sense, to denote prodigious agitations of mountains, shocks of the foundation of the universe, effects of God's power, wrath, and vengeance, figurative exaggerations, which represent the greatness, strength and power of God. Ps. 104:32. 18:7. 46:2.

114:4.

EAST. The Hebrews, in speaking of the different quarters of the heaven, always suppose the face to be turned towards the east. Hence before, or forwards, means the east; behind is the west, the right hand is south, and the left-hand, north.

EAST WIND, see WIND. EASTER is improperly put for passover. Acts 12:4.

Around these tables are placed, not seats, but couches, or beds, one to each table; each of these beds being called clinium, three of these united, to surround the three tables, formed the triclinium (three beds). These beds were formed of mattresses stuffed; and were often highly ornamented. Observe the attitude of the guests; each reclining on his left elbow; and therefore using principally his right hand, that only (or at least chiefly) being free for use. Observe also, that the feet of the person reclining being towards the external edge of the bed, they were much more readily reached by any body passing, than any other part of the person so reclining.

For want of a proper knowledge in respect to this mode of reclining at table, severai passages in the Gospels are quite unintelligible in our English translation. So Luke 7:37," A woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus SAT at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him, weeping; and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head; and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment." Now, according to our mode of sitting at table, this would be impossible; but on inspecting the engraving, the narration becomes intelligible; the

EATING, Mode of. The Hebrews anciently sat at table, but afterwards imitated the Persians and Chaldeans, who reclined on table-beds, or divans, while eating. A knowledge of this fact is of importance to a right under-feet of a person recumbent, being standing of several passages in the N. T. The engraving on page 84 represents one of the common eating tables.

The reader is requested to notice the construction of the tables, i. e. three tables, so set together as to form but one.

outermost, are most exposed to salutation, or to any other treatment, from one standing behind them. The same observations apply to John 12:3-“Lazarus was one who reclined at table with Jesus; and Mary anointed the feet of Jesus," &c.

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and folding up like a sheet of paper, is used for the purpose of

Assisted by these ideas, we may better understand the history of our Lord's washing his dis-rolling together a large mouthful, ciples' feet. John 13:5. He poureth water into a basin, and going round the beds whereon the disciples reclined, he began to wash their feet, which lay on the external edge of the couch, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded, &c. v. 12,|| "After he had taken his garments and was reclined again, he said," &c. See also under LAZARUS II.

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This mode of reclining at meals was common in the East, and also among the Greeks and Romans. Under the Roman emperors, the couches were sometimes made semicircular. At the present day, in the East, the custom is to sit or recline upon the floor at meat, and at other times on cushions, &c.

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The present mode of eating in Syria and Palestine is thus described by Dr. Jowett : witness the daily family habits, in the house in which I lived at Deir el Kamr, forcibly reminded me of Scripture scenes. The absence of the females at our meals has been already noticed. There is another custom, by no means agreeable to a European; to which, however, I would have willingly endeavored to submit, but it was impossible to learn it in the short compass of a twenty days' visit. There are set on the table, in the evening, two or three messes of stewed meat, vegetables, and sour milk. To me the privilege of a knife and spoon and plate was granted; but the rest all helped themselves immediately from the dish; in which it was no uncommon thing to see more than five Arab fingers at one time. Their bread, which is extremely thin, tearing ||

or sopping up the fluid and vegetables. But the practice which was most revolting to me was this when the master of the house found in the dish any dainty morsel, he took it out with his fingers and applied it to my mouth. This was true Syrian courtesy and hospitality; and, had I been sufficiently well-bred, my mouth would have opened to receive it. On my pointing to my plate, however, he had the goodness to deposit the choice morsel there. I would not have noticed so trivial a circumstance, if it did not exactly illustrate what the evangelists record of the Last Supper. St. Matthew relates that the traitor was described by our Lord in these terms: He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me, 26:23. From this it may be inferred that Judas sat near to our Lord; perhaps on one side next to him. St. John, who was leaning on Jesus's bosom, describes the fact with an additional circumstance. Upon his asking, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it is to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop, Satan entered into him, John 13:25-27.”

EBAL, a mountain in Ephraim, near Shechem, over against mount Gerizim, from which it is separated by a valley of about 200 paces wide, in which stands the town of Shechem. Both mountains are much alike in length, height, and form, and their altitude is stated not to exceed 700 or 800 feet, from the level of the valley. But if they

are alike in these particulars, in others they are very unlike; for Ebal is barren, while Gerizim is beautiful and fruitful. The Jews and Samaritans have great disputes about them. See GERI

ZIM.

ECCLESIASTES, literally the preacher, or one who aďdresses an assembly. This is the name of one of the books of the O. T. usually ascribed to Solomon as its author. Solomon, at least, is introduced as speaking; and the object of the book is to teach the vanity of all things, and show that the only true wisdom is "to fear God and keep his commandments." This, he says, is the conclusion of the whole matter, c. 12:13. In reading this book, care should be taken not to deduce opinions from detached sentiments, but from the general scope and combined force of the whole.

EDEN, a province in Asia, in which was paradise. "The Lord planted eastward a garden in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed." Gen. 2:8. The topography of Eden is thus described: "And a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. The name of the first is Pison," &c.

It may be inferred from a number of circumstances, that paradise was placed on a mountain, or at least in a country diversified with hills, because only such a country could supply the springs necessary to form four heads of rivers; and because all heads of rivers rise in hills, from whence their waters descend to the sea. Such a country has been found in Armenia, with such an elevation, or assemblage of elevations,

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also, as appeared to be requisite for the purpose. On this supposition, the Phasis is the Pison of Moses, and the similarity of sound in the name would seem to confirm the opinion; it is a natural consequence, that the Araxes be the Gihon,

since its waters are extremely rapid, and the Greek name Araxes, like the Hebrew Gihon, denotes the dart, or swift. About the two other rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, there is then no question.

EDOM and EDOMITES, see ESAU and IDUMEA.

EGYPT, a celebrated country in the north of Africa, at the eastern part of the Mediterrane

an sea.

The Hebrews called it Mizraim; and hence it is now called by the Arabs Mizr. The Greeks and Romans called it Egyptus, whence Egypt; but the origin of this name is unknown.

The proper land of Egypt is, for the most part, a great valley, through which the river Nile pours its waters, extending in a straight line from north to south, and skirted on the east and west by ranges of mountains, which approach and recede from the river more or less in different parts. Where this valley terminates, towards the north, the Nile divides itself, about forty or fifty miles from the sea-coast, into several arms, which enclose the so called Delta. The ancients numbered seven arms and mouths; the eastern was that of Pelusium, now that of Tineh; and the western that of Canopus, now that of Aboukir. As these branches all separate from one point or channel, i. e. from the main stream, and spread themselves more and more as they approach the coast, they form

with the latter a triangle, the base of which is the sea-coast; and having thus the form of the Greek letter A, delta, this part of Egypt received the name of the Delta, which it has ever since retained. The northern and southern points of Egypt are assigned by the prophet Ezekiel, 29:10. 30:6, from Migdol, i. e. Magdolum, not far from the mouth of the Pelusian arm, to Syene, now Essuan, namely, to the border of Ethiopia. Essuan is also assigned by Greek and Arabian writers as the southern limit of Egypt. Here the Nile issues from the granite rocks of the cataracts, and enters Egypt proper. The length of the country therefore, in a direct line, is 112 geographical miles. The breadth of the valley, between Essuan and the Delta, is very unequal; in some places the inundations of the river extend to the foot of the mountains; in other parts there remains a strip of a mile or two in breadth, which the water never covers, and which is therefore always dry and barren. Originally the name Egypt designated only this valley and the Delta; but at a later period it came to include also the region between this and the Red sea.

try presents nothing but an immeasurable surface of reddish or yellowish water, out of which rise date-trees, villages, and narrow dams, which serve as a means of communication. After the waters have retreated, which usually remain only a short time at this height, you see, till the end of autumn, only a black and slimy mud. But in winter, nature puts on all her splendor. In this season, the freshness and power of the new vegetation, the variety and abundance of vegetable productions, exceed every thing that is known in the most celebrated parts of the European continent; and Egypt is then, from one end of the country to the other, nothing but a beautiful garden, a verdant meadow, a field sown with flowers, or a waving ocean of grain in the ear. This fertility, as is well known, depends upon the annual and regular inundations of the Nile. See NILE.

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The sky is not less uniform and monotonous than the earth; it is constantly a pure, clouded arch, of a color and light more white than azure. The atmosphere has a splendor which the eye can scarcely bear; and a burning sun, whose glow is tempered by no shade, scorchThe country around Syene es through the whole day these and the cataracts is highly pic- vast and unprotected plains. It turesque; the other parts of is almost a peculiar trait in Egypt, and especially the Delta, the Egyptian landscape, that are exceedingly uniform and mo- although not without trees, it is notonous. The prospect, how-yet almost without shade. The ever, is extremely different, according to the season of the year. From the middle of the spring season, when the harvest is over, one sees nothing but a grey and dusty soil, so full of cracks and chasms, that he can hardly pass along. At the time of the autumnal equinox, the whole coun

only tree is the date-tree, which is frequent; but with its tall, slender stem, and bunch of foliage on the top, this tree does very little to keep off the light, and casts upon the earth only a pale and uncertain shade. Egypt, accordingly, has a very hot climate; the thermometer in

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